Wabash, and for five miles had to wade through water and
ice, frequently up to their breasts. They overcame every difficulty
and arrived before St. Vincents on the evening of the twenty-third of
February and almost simultaneously with the galley.

Thus far fortune seemed to favor the expedition. The army had not been
discovered on its march, and the garrison was totally ignorant of its
approach. Much however yet remained to be done. They had arrived
within view of the enemy, but the battle was yet to be fought.

Sensible of the advantage to be derived from commencing the attack,
while the enemy was ignorant of his approach, at seven o'clock he
marched to the assault. The inhabitants instead of offering
opposition, received the troops with gladness, and surrendering [190]
the town, engaged with alacrity in the siege of the fort. For eighteen
hours the garrison resisted the repeated onsets of the assailants; but
during the night succeeding the commencement of the attack, Colonel
Clarke had an entrenchment thrown up within rifle shot of the enemy's
strongest battery, and in the morning, from this position, poured upon
it such a well-directed shower of balls, that in fifteen minutes he
silenced two pieces of cannon without sustaining any loss whatever.
The advantages thus gained, induced Hamilton to demand a parley,
intimating an intention of surrendering. The terms were soon arranged.
The governor and garrison became prisoners of war, and a considerable
quantity of military stores fell into the hands of the conqueror. [4]

During the continuance of the siege, Colonel Clarke received
information that a party of Indians which had been detached by
Hamilton to harrass the frontiers, was returning and then near to St.
Vincents with two prisoners. He immediately ordered a detachment of
his men to march out and give them battle--nine Indians were taken and
the two prisoners released.

History records but few enterprises, which display as strikingly the
prominent features of military greatness, and evince so much of the
genius and daring which are necessary to their successful termination,
as this; while the motives which led to its delineation, were such, as
must excite universal admiration. Bold and daring, yet generous and
disinterested, Colonel Clarke sought not his individual advancement in
the projection or execution of this campaign. It was not to gratify
the longings of ambition, or an inordinate love of fame, that prom